Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh.
Credit: PTI Photo
New Delhi: Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's poll campaign in Jharkhand, the Congress on Monday asked him about the promises he has made to the people of the state and said he should fulfil them before seeking a single vote.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh posed a set of three questions to the PM, reminding him of his promise of setting up the Korba-Lohardaga and Chatra-Gaya railway lines, besides setting of engineering and medical colleges in Jharkhand.
Assembly elections in Jharkhand are due in two phases on November 13 and 20, where the BJP is seeking to wrest power from the JMM-Congress combine.
"The non-biological PM is in Jharkhand today. Three questions he should answer before seeking a single vote - Where is the Korba-Lohardaga and Chatra-Gaya railway lines," Ramesh asked in a post on X.
He said the people of Lohardaga and Chatra have been demanding better rail connectivity for years as it would improve locals' access to education and employment opportunities.
"Sadly, the Railway Ministry has ignored their demands and made very poor progress on this front. In October 2022, the Railway Ministry sanctioned the Chatra-Gaya rail project but two years later, no progress has been made. There is no word on the Korba-Lohardaga line.
"How much longer must the people wait for the these crucial rail links? Is the non-biological PM doing anything to ensure the completion of these essential projects," the Congress leader asked.
Asking where are the engineering colleges that PM Modi had promised in 2014, Ramesh recalled that during his campaign for Jharkhand's 2014 assembly elections, Modi had promised a range of industrial and educational projects, including a premier IT institution and several engineering colleges.
"However, only two institutions were ever established, NIELET Ranchi and CIPET Khunti. These too, after 9 and 7 years respectively, do not have a permanent campus," he said.
"Dr. Manmohan Singh's Government, on the other hand, established high-quality institutions like IIM Ranchi and a Central University. Why has the non-biological PM failed to deliver the institutions he had promised ten years ago," he asked.
He also asked what had happened to the Medical College in Koderma.
"The non-biological PM has repeatedly promised to build a Medical College in Koderma but the project is yet to materialise. The college was supposed to be built on 70 acres of land and offer 100 MBBS seats.
"Mr. Modi laid its foundation stone six years ago, in 2018, and then promised to complete the project again in 2019. Does the PM ever intend to keep his promise or is this just another 'Modi ki Guarantee; from the Bharatiya Jumla Party," Ramesh said.
Assembly Elections 2024 | The Maharashtra Assembly polls will take place against the backdrop of a fractured political landscape in the western state where the Shiv Sena and NCP will be going up against the Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar factions, even as the BJP and Congress try to make their mark. Meanwhile, in Jharkhand, the JMM faces a new challenge after Hemant Soren's recent arrest and Champai, a longstanding party member, joining the BJP. The Haryana election resulted in a shock loss for Congress, which was looking to galvanize on the Lok Sabha poll performance, while J&K also saw the grand old party eventually stepping away from the cabinet, with Omar Abdullah's JKNC forming government. It remains to be seen if the upcoming polls help BJP cement its position further or provide a fillip to I.N.D.I.A. Check live updates and track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analyses only on Deccan Herald.
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